The morality and legality of physician-assisted suicide is currently a highly debated topic in America. Physician- assisted suicide is a process where a terminally ill individual may take a medication prescribed by a doctor to end their life. The patient would see a doctor to determine whether the process is an option, and then they would take the medicine on their own time. Physician-assisted suicide should be legal in America because it is sometimes in the best interest of the patient, it is not an easily made decision, and it will not lead to patient abuse. Physician-assisted suicide should be legal because it is in the best interest of the individual. There are still many diseases without cures, where the person will die and experience an unnecessary amount of pain. In this situation, physician-assisted suicide can be merciful and the better option for the well-being of the person. Additionally, denying the patient the right to end his/her life in a safe and closely monitored way might cause a patient to attempt to take his or her own life in a much more unsafe way. "Out of this conundrum has appeared the concept of the value of suffering—a concept I find myself totally unable to subscribe to”(Andrew C Markus). By making physician assisted suicide illegal, the implications are people will continue to suffer, even though they will eventually die, is a preferable option to a painless death. "Rather than characterizing this as "killing," we should see it as bringing the dying process to a merciful end." As this quote states, the process of physician assisted suicide is not murder, because it is by the choice of the patient, and it can sometimes be more merciful than making the person continue to suffer. Along with these points, there are many other reasons and arguments why physician-assisted suicide should be legal in the United States.
Another reason why physician-assisted suicide should be legal is that it is not an easily made decision, so the person has to be serious about it. "Two doctors must deem the patient—who must be an adult—to be terminally ill and mentally competent, he must be informed of all options for alleviating his suffering, and the doctor must observe a 15-day waiting period between the decision and the prescription”(Andrew Lewis). Because of these requirements, the patient has to be sure that they actually want to go through with the process. This shows that it is not an easily made decision, because not just anyone can use physician-assisted suicide, he or she has to meet the requirements that were stated. Additionally, physician-assisted suicide cannot be a person’s first choice; they must be aware if there are any cures or other options. Furthermore, legalizing physician-assisted suicide might decrease the amounts of suicides early on in a disease, where they might eventually get better, because the individual will know that if they reach a point of no cure, he or she will be able to undergo the process. “Society recognizes the competent patient's right to autonomy-to decide what will or won't be done to his or her body”(Peter Rogatz). If the person is fully competent and can still make their own decisions, it should be their choice to either use physician-assisted suicide, or not to. Lastly, "Laws will not prevent terminally ill patients from seeking an end to their suffering, nor will they prevent some doctors from quietly helping”(Death With Dignity National Center). Even if the government does not allow physician-assisted suicide, some people may do it illegally, because they have made the decision, and they will find a doctor to help them. This would cause problems because it could get a person put in prison, just for trying to aid a patient who is suffering.
The final reason why physician-assisted suicide should be legal is that it will not lead to patient abuse. A doctor could not just prescribe a medication that will kill someone, because it is within their choice whether or not they take it. Also, most doctors will not perform the process unless the patient is fully competent, so they could not, and would not, use it on an elderly or mentally ill patient against their will. “To paraphrase John Maynard Keynes, in the long run we are all elderly, infirm, or disabled and, since society well knows this, serious attention would surely be given to adequate protections against abuse.” As the quote states, since everybody eventually becomes an elderly person and many people became disabled, there would be many rules and precautions in place to prevent abuse such as prescribing the medicine, even when it is not by the person’s choice. In addition, it is the patient’s choice to take the medicine. Some people may argue that it is giving a doctor a license to kill, or that it is forcing a doctor to kill. While these points could be concerning, they can be easily prevented because physician-assisted suicide is wholly the person’s choice, and a doctor does not have to do it, they can refer a patient to one who will.
Among the many reasons why physician-assisted suicide should be legal are that it is moral, it is a serious and tough decision, and it would not lead to patient abuse. Physician-assisted suicide is a method of ending a terminally ill individual’s suffering, so that they don’t have to die much more agonizingly. While there are so many reasons why it should be allowed, some people will always disagree with the legality. If not physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who are in agony, what are the other options?
Another reason why physician-assisted suicide should be legal is that it is not an easily made decision, so the person has to be serious about it. "Two doctors must deem the patient—who must be an adult—to be terminally ill and mentally competent, he must be informed of all options for alleviating his suffering, and the doctor must observe a 15-day waiting period between the decision and the prescription”(Andrew Lewis). Because of these requirements, the patient has to be sure that they actually want to go through with the process. This shows that it is not an easily made decision, because not just anyone can use physician-assisted suicide, he or she has to meet the requirements that were stated. Additionally, physician-assisted suicide cannot be a person’s first choice; they must be aware if there are any cures or other options. Furthermore, legalizing physician-assisted suicide might decrease the amounts of suicides early on in a disease, where they might eventually get better, because the individual will know that if they reach a point of no cure, he or she will be able to undergo the process. “Society recognizes the competent patient's right to autonomy-to decide what will or won't be done to his or her body”(Peter Rogatz). If the person is fully competent and can still make their own decisions, it should be their choice to either use physician-assisted suicide, or not to. Lastly, "Laws will not prevent terminally ill patients from seeking an end to their suffering, nor will they prevent some doctors from quietly helping”(Death With Dignity National Center). Even if the government does not allow physician-assisted suicide, some people may do it illegally, because they have made the decision, and they will find a doctor to help them. This would cause problems because it could get a person put in prison, just for trying to aid a patient who is suffering.
The final reason why physician-assisted suicide should be legal is that it will not lead to patient abuse. A doctor could not just prescribe a medication that will kill someone, because it is within their choice whether or not they take it. Also, most doctors will not perform the process unless the patient is fully competent, so they could not, and would not, use it on an elderly or mentally ill patient against their will. “To paraphrase John Maynard Keynes, in the long run we are all elderly, infirm, or disabled and, since society well knows this, serious attention would surely be given to adequate protections against abuse.” As the quote states, since everybody eventually becomes an elderly person and many people became disabled, there would be many rules and precautions in place to prevent abuse such as prescribing the medicine, even when it is not by the person’s choice. In addition, it is the patient’s choice to take the medicine. Some people may argue that it is giving a doctor a license to kill, or that it is forcing a doctor to kill. While these points could be concerning, they can be easily prevented because physician-assisted suicide is wholly the person’s choice, and a doctor does not have to do it, they can refer a patient to one who will.
Among the many reasons why physician-assisted suicide should be legal are that it is moral, it is a serious and tough decision, and it would not lead to patient abuse. Physician-assisted suicide is a method of ending a terminally ill individual’s suffering, so that they don’t have to die much more agonizingly. While there are so many reasons why it should be allowed, some people will always disagree with the legality. If not physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients who are in agony, what are the other options?
Works Cited:
Markus, Andrew C. "Assisted Suicide Is Moral." Physician-Assisted Suicide, edited by James H. Ondrey, Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010020225/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=2f79ff65. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "Life or Death, Mad or Sane—Who Decides?" Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, vol. 45, Spring 2002, pp. 264-272.
Lewis, Andrew. "Access to Physician-Assisted Suicide Is an Unalienable Right." Physician-Assisted Suicide, edited by Gail N. Hawkins, Greenhaven Press, 2002. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010020212/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=b4c40e7c. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "The Right to Die and the Right to Live," Intellectual Activist, Jan. 2000.
Rogatz, Peter. "Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized." Death & Dying, edited by
James Haley, Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010123234/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=248538aa. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018.
Death with Dignity National Center. "Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon Has Not Led to Abuses." Euthanasia, edited by Carrie Snyder, Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010134247/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=94204017. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "Fact and Fiction,", 2005.
Markus, Andrew C. "Assisted Suicide Is Moral." Physician-Assisted Suicide, edited by James H. Ondrey, Greenhaven Press, 2006. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010020225/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=2f79ff65. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "Life or Death, Mad or Sane—Who Decides?" Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, vol. 45, Spring 2002, pp. 264-272.
Lewis, Andrew. "Access to Physician-Assisted Suicide Is an Unalienable Right." Physician-Assisted Suicide, edited by Gail N. Hawkins, Greenhaven Press, 2002. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010020212/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=b4c40e7c. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "The Right to Die and the Right to Live," Intellectual Activist, Jan. 2000.
Rogatz, Peter. "Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized." Death & Dying, edited by
James Haley, Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010123234/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=248538aa. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018.
Death with Dignity National Center. "Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide in Oregon Has Not Led to Abuses." Euthanasia, edited by Carrie Snyder, Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010134247/OVIC?u=nysl_ro_hflms&xid=94204017. Accessed 12 Feb. 2018. Originally published as "Fact and Fiction,", 2005.